


The Power of Money

by poisonous_panda



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Episode Prompto, Gen, greed - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 10:44:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11484738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonous_panda/pseuds/poisonous_panda
Summary: Imagine the conversation Aranea had to have with Ardyn to persuade her to go and help Prompto as well as destroy the Niff base





	The Power of Money

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Prompto_Cam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prompto_Cam/gifts).



Sighing loudly, Aranea walks back on board her dropship with Biggs and Wedge in tow. 

They had all quit the Empire's employment and were considering their next move, but right now they were helping the people of Tenebrae flee their burning city. They were just discussing the possibility of hunting daemons for cash to put the thrill back into the job for them when Aranea stopped in her tracks.

Chancellor Ardyn Izunia was inside her dropship, leaning casually against the wall. He still looked as stupidly flamboyant as he ever did, and that fedora still sat on his head, masking his eyes under the brim. But the trio could see his smirk as clear as day.

Running a finger around the rim of his hat, Ardyn pulls it off and half-bows to them.

"Wonderful to see old friends again, wouldn't you agree?" he cheerfully smirks at them.

Biggs and Wedge stayed silent; Aranea was their boss after all.

"We don't work for the Empire anymore, Chancellor." Aranea spits at him, her lip curling as she says his title.

"Come come my dear, how many times must I tell you to call me Ardyn?" he gives her a toothy grin. She just folds her arms.

"What do you want?"

"I have a job for you. A small one for someone of your... caliber." Ardyn places his fedora back on top of his head. He's still leaning against the wall of the dropship, and now he's placed his hands on his hips.

Aranea looks at the men flanking her, then turns back to Ardyn.

"We're listening."

"The prince... nay, King, is on his way here. His retinue have seen better days and they're now one person short. But no telling them I told you so!" He waggles his finger at the trio like they were naughty children, much to Aranea's annoyance.

"Are you the reason they're in such bad shape? And the reason all hell has been let loose on Tenebrae?" Aranea asks him coldly.

"Heavens no, my lady. You know the army and I are unaffiliated-"

"Which is why you hired us in the first place." she interrupts.

"See THAT'S what I like about you Commo- Aranea. You're a clever girl." Ardyn smiles warmly at her, "I have a job, and I shall pay handsomely only once you accept."

Aranea waves her hand at him then turns around to face her friends. The men only nod - they would follow Aranea to hell and back if she commanded - so she turns to face Ardyn once again and simply nods.

"The little gunman friend of the King's is the one missing. Poor lad fell off of the train whilst heading here from Altissia; that city certainly has not been kind to them! I'm sure you remember his friend - blonde boy, quite the talker, as excitable as a puppy? The young man has never seemed to learn stranger-danger either. Such a pity." Ardyn lowers his gaze in mock grievance.

"Yet you know where he is." Aranea matter-of-factly states. She never was one to put up with the Chancellor's mannerisms.

"But of course. I have heard my esteemed colleagues found the poor boy frozen half to death in the snow, and ever so kindly brought him to the base we have at Ghorovas Rift. I'm sure you remember it - the one where the Magitek troopers were first created." 

"Yeah yeah, where you sent the daemons we harvested off to your chief nutjob scientist." Aranea interrupts again, sounding really bored. Her weight's shifted onto one foot so she's leaning, and she's crossed her arms again.

Far from being offended, Ardyn continues to smile at her from his place leaning against the wall.

"That's the one. See I'm worried about my dear friend Verstael. I know you're not too fond of him, but he has a 'new model' of Magitek that he has been hiding - even from yours truly! My concern is the power has gone to his head. Oh! My poor friend! Twisted by power like so many great minds before him!" Pushing off from the wall, Ardyn makes his way over to Aranea so he was towering over her. To her credit, she never so much as flinched. "Please.... set my friend free of his madness! And if you so happen to find the King's dear Prompto, feel free to point him in the direction of Gralea so he can reunite with his friends."

Aranea seemed to mull the idea over.

"But you don't want them to know you're the one who sent us, right? Just like all the other jobs we've had under you." she says.

"That is correct my dear. Do this for me, and I shall never bother you again." Ardyn smiles warmly and places his hand on his chest as a gesture of sincerity. He knew she couldn't stand him, but he didn't care. She was just a pawn to him.

"How much?" she asks.

"Oh of course, you are a mercenary now. How does.... 50,000 gil each sound?" Ardyn throws the number nonchalantly at them.

Biggs and Wedge murmur their approval at Aranea's side.

"Well it will be easy for you two, I require you to keep an eye on Noctis and his friends." Ardyn adds.

The trio stiffen at the idea of being seperated.

"100 each, you're asking me to destroy a Niff base alone." Aranea gives him a stoney glare.

Ardyn gasps loudly, "I never said to destroy it!" he exclaims, holding his arms up in innocence, "But it is a quite a task I'm asking of you..."

He runs his fingers over the stubble on his chin, appearing to consider the haggle.

"A-ha!" he says, clicking his fingers as if he had just had a revelation, "I suppose you will need more. After all my dear Aranea, it will be positively frozen where you will be going."

Aranea scoffs at him. "No need to worry about my wardrobe, Chancellor. And I'm keeping the lance." She's referring to the Magitek lance that was created specifically for her when she first joined the Empire.

"But of course," he says, leaning forward and reaching his hand out to her face as if he was going to stroke her skin; his golden eyes smoldering, "You are the apple of my ancient eye, my dear Dragoon."

Biggs and Wedge shuffle uncomfortably at Aranea's side, unsure what will happen next. But Aranea just averts her gaze. Normally she'd smack or walk away from anyone who treated her in this creepy way.

The power of money, Ardyn thinks to himself. Straightening up, Ardyn waves a hand around and looks around the dropship as if he was discussing a trivial, boring matter. 

"200 each and you can keep everything you find. Not only am I hiring you for this job, and also buying your silence about my involvement, but I am slightly concerned for that poor young gunman. Do retrieve him in one piece." He chuckles lightly, then drags his gaze back to the trio.

Their shocked expression at his surprise move of substantially raising his original price caught them offguard. Ardyn waits a beat for his offer to sink in. When they say nothing, he steps around Aranea and wanders down the slope of the dropship, keeping his back to them the entire time.

"I am happy we could come to our arrangement, ta-ta for now. And best of luck!" he chirps at them, waving a hand over his shoulder in farewell. Money was no object to an immortal, and he would do anything to ensure Prompto stayed alive - he was depicted by the Chosen King's side in the prophecy painting after all. Can't expose Noctis to too much grief; rather than feed his hatred, it might just break him. And that will not do at all.

Aranea turns to her subordinates, "Well boys, one last job for the Niffs. We can finally take out that madman using the daemons. At least they're paying well."

"Yes Lady A." They reply in unison.

"What did he mean by Noctis' friends not being in the best shape?" she mutters to herself more than her companions.

Aranea steps past her friends to look down the slope of her dropship, but Ardyn was nowhere to be seen.

"I hate it when he does that." she huffs to herself.


End file.
